It has been an overwhelming and terrifying past couple of days for New Yorkers, and communities across the world who have been hit by the COVID-19 outbreak, also known as the coronavirus.
At Make the Road NY we are shifting our work to respond to this new reality and to protect our members, staff and community.
Here’s how we have been taking action:
- Creating and disseminating accurate, bilingual and culturally competent materials on the virus to our 24k+ members and others in our communities.
- Holding Know Your Rights trainings for community members online so people have the latest information on immigration enforcement, Census participation and other critical issues.
- Waging advocacy campaigns to promote policies that protect working class New Yorkers during this time, such as imposing moratoriums on home evictions and immigration enforcement.
- Shifting our ways of working to minimize contact — moving adult literacy classes online, for example, and having video calls instead of in-person organizing committee meetings — in order to continue to meet the needs of the people we serve and keep us all safe from the virus. Starting Monday, our physical offices will be closed.
- Continuing to provide screening and legal support to individuals who might be impacted by the new public charge rule and connecting people to health care and services.
- Staffing a Coronavirus hotline for vulnerable communities.
In the meantime, please visit the following websites for helpful resources:
- The CDC website and NYC Department of Health’s website contain helpful up-to-date information on COVID-19.
- Here are some fact sheets from New York City’s Department of Health
- A 6-step graphic on how to wash your hands.
We hope you’re taking care of yourselves in these scary times. We will continue to keep you updated as the situation changes. Thank you for standing with us!
In Solidarity